Genetically Cloning Madara
by avalidusername
Summary: Too bad he never checked who was hiding behind the orange mask. Orochimaru takes a shortcut to getting the Sharingan and clones the most powerful Uchiha in history, Madara. After getting the blood sample he needed to harvest the DNA, he did grow a clone as his next vessel! Great power was at his fingertips or so he thought. He just didn't know why the clone was so... incompetent?
1. Chapter 1

Drip, drip, drip...

His mother's heartbeats resonated between the walls. He had been floating in the lukewarm liquid for about five months, or was the estimate after his mind had developed enough to understand. Then, after days, weeks the fragmented images of his past began to coalesce and gradually, he discovered a picture of a life long forgotten, but slowly being remembered again. Then moments of clarity came more frequently as he developed, though along with them, feelings of apprehension as well. The words 'reincarnation' and 'rebirth' surfaced more often as he began to understand what was happening. Yet unlike the past life he remembered, there was little certainty within the monotonous void, and much less hints of the identity he might soon take. Would he be born to an affluent family of politicians and lawyers, and live a privileged life due to the success of his family? Or, would he take the unassuming role of an average Joe, and grow up as an exemplary worker of the middle class? Like most reincarnated characters, he wondered a lot about these things.

The uncertainties troubled him with an increasing urgency as the days passed. Then one day, a frightening realization had hit him. While there weren't clocks in this dark place, he could still feel the passage of time...and it felt like... he had already lived out one year of his life in the dark place, literally.

Well the amount of time passed was weird, but he was optimistic. Maybe he was finally on the cusp of seeing the outside world!

Drip, drip, drip...Drip, drip, drip, drip...

But then another month passed and nothing.

Drip, drip, drip...

Then a few more and... huh.

Eventually whatever waited outside started to seem much more appealing than his boring bubble of a world. He tried falling back to sleep under the dripping sounds of his mother's heart, but was too restless. Had it been another six months of this monotony? At least let something happen!

He started with a few pokes, then kicks, twists, flailing arms, and attempted spins. He worked it until he no longer had the energy to move. And seeing that he couldn't move, there was only one thing to do, which was brood as Uchihas often do. Really, who gets pregnant for over a year?

And so like that he brooded on until he no longer had the energy to do even that. As he began to drift into sleep, he noted that his mother's heartbeat seemed a little off. For someone to have dripping sounds for heartbeats...

Drip, drip, drip... ...Clink!

Clinking? Wh-what...

"Orochimaru! Lord Orochimaru! One of the clones has shown signs of life!" yelled an enthusiastic Kabuto as he scampered through the lab rooms, reports in one hand, a trail of floating documents behind as the wind sucked them from the tables and settled the sheets onto misplaced heaps on the ground. By the time he had entered Orochimaru's lab room, the assistant was panting heavily with one hand against forehead in disbelief. "To think, out of the hundreds of clones you've attempted to create using the Uchiha sample, one finally worked! And had I actually given up after the first fifty. .. Can you imagine our luck?"

Orochimaru was beyond disbelief. A miracle had happened! He was quite happy of course, since after months of research to confirm Madara's identity before the meeting, the weeks of planning to prepare for the encounter and extraction of DNA, and the long, arduous hours of purifying Madara's DNA of the contaminant DNA in the blood sample, he had finally created the perfect vessel with a Sharingan, and it was Madara's copy nonetheless! (Not that he knew how the sample had gotten contaminated, but it no longer mattered as now he had a working clone. His efforts had finally paid off!)

He still couldn't believe his luck and took the offered lab reports. When he finished perusing Kabuto's documents, both men eagerly hurried to the incubation chambers. Inside, they pushed away a few treys and carts that held various beakers and assorted petri dishes. Some clinked against each other and the sound echoed loudly between the walls.

The room had been darkened to simulate lighting during the gestational period, though seeing that the clone was alive and would be approaching the age of two after normal birth, Orochimaru decided it no longer needed the incubational precautions. If nothing else, the new lab reports indicated the importance of creating an environment for the clone that would be mirror a normal two year old's.

However, the reports were also going off the assumption that the clone was 1) taken out as soon as the gestational period was over and 2) had already been living outside for two years.

Well, the second condition was partially fulfilled, as the clone would be two years of age by now if they had followed the report instructions. But the first, not at all. Not that they left the clone there on purpose, but to be fair the project was practically abandoned long ago and been somewhat forgotten. The first three hundred attempts hadn't worked and things weren't looking hopeful. So it was with the same spirit that this fifth hundred and eighty third attempt had been made, and not expecting a great outcome, they all but abandoned the project and left the clone on its own with minimal resources spent to monitor it. Well, the sensor equipment also came refurbished for econom - anyway so the reports may not have been completely reliable.

On the other hand, considering the clone was made from the stuff of legend he could possibly handle it. He may need to get used to the outside world, maybe also being awake at first, but they would take him out now. Orochimaru gave the okay. Kabuto disappeared into the switch room and flicked on the lights.

When the clinking stopped momentarily, he recounted the months since he gained awareness and realized he was already overdue for delivery. Then the clinking appeared again, and this time in greater frequency. He was scared. From the memories, he remembered that it wasn't healthy for a baby to be born too far past the due time; there were complications for both the child and mother in the long run. So were the doctors inducing his birth? Was that where the clinking came from? The fluid wobbled around him. The clinking echoed outside. Without a doubt, he would be getting out. They must be in a hospital. Soon, he would be surrounded by a group of doctors and medical assistants, and he might even see his mother for the first time!

He was excited, but as great as it seemed, he knew he'd still have to go through the dreaded process first. He braced himself and waited, as would be expected from the reincarnated.

Wait... Give it time... Maybe... ... What, nothing? The clinking had stopped and the liquid was no longer wobbling. There was only silence and nothing else. He was lost. Was it just a false hope? He had stayed in this cage and counted twenty months, and this was what happened? Nothing? Absolutely nothing? At least let something happe— Sudden explosions of bright lights erupted everywhere. Hey what's going on? He couldn't see. What happened? This wasn't birth! Did he die again? No, it can't be. Where was everything? How? What? Why? When? No, no. Here, here, give a minute... The water is gone, I'm being lifted out. Lifted out? ...

Wait but there's something yes, he thought. It's...it's grey? He could only see so much. His arms reached out to touch it. Maybe it was the doctor. Did they do a C-section? Was it that likely? It didn't seem or feel like it...

"Get the report forms, Kabuto. The clone's more responsive than we had thought." Kabuto? Was that the name of the nurse? The name sounded familiar. Did it come from his memories? If only he could see past this blinding whiteness. Kabuto.. he thought about ninjas. Why was he thinking about ninjas? Kabuto...and the grey doctor. They might be ninjas. How did he know this? Was he living in the past? Ninjas don't exist in the modern world! The cartoons of his past flashed through his mind. Then, a doubtful idea started forming at the edges of his mind. For a brief moment, he remembered something important about a world he read, and almost would have been shocked for ending up there.

However, realization hit first and he soon found he could to care less. Where he ended up was almost insignificant. Above everything else, that one word from the grey doctor stood out, and an overwhelming sense of fear and incredulity engulfed him.

He was...a clone?!

* * *

Orochimaru stared blankly at the intel reports in front of him. Off to another Akastuki meeting then, not that he was allowed to skip them. Sure he had missed the first few - all of them if given the choice - but that pesky Madara just wouldn't stop materializing in his lair with the entire group of missing-nins, swords and explosive tags in hand.

Now being busy as he was, these days he barely had any time to check on the clone. As much as he wanted to, he also wasn't likely to conduct most of the experiments on the clone as he had wanted to. He'd have to let Kabuto do it for him then.


	2. Chapter 2

Having settled from a distance that the paler figure seemed reliable enough, the masked man materialized and began, "Seeing that you're here, I assume my messenger has managed to pass on my intentions. Have you agreed to the proposition Orochimaru?"

They were both in the dark of the night, but the two shadowy figures stood poised and alert as they faced each other across a desolate clearing in the forest. What had supposed to have been a simple meeting on business terms soon elapsed into strained silence as each studied the other figure for indications of power as well as merit of trust - although judging by their capabilities, such an assessment was not so much as far fetched as it was necessary.

From the few streaks of moonlight that fell onto each person, it was clear by their outlines that both were of about equal stature, though one seemed a shade paler and perhaps even sicklier than the other. His yellow, snake-like eyes shone under the darkness with a certain greedy intensity. On the opposite side, the other one had obscured himself with a coat which collar had covered most of his profile, though strange, orange patterns of swirls could still be distinguished from his mask.

"Well, have you agreed to -"

"No."

There was a short pause before the masked figure blurted out, "...What? Why- wait... Then why are you here?"

Orochimaru said, "My priorities don't lie in playing criminal ninja for a man with no background. Not to mention, one who claims to be someone who died over half a century ago." The snake's expression was indecipherable under the murky shadows of the night, and his eyes conveyed nothing of what needed to be said. From two golden orbs that shone through the darkness, there was arrogance in the snake that seemed to hold a strange certainty over the situation. It was almost as if Orochimaru knew he could manipulate the circumstances to his advantage. Orochimaru's gaze was making the masked figure uneasy, but the negotiator convinced himself that he had encountered far stranger missing-nins on past recruiting missions. Not that many though.

He needed to stay to get this over with. The masked man processed Orochimaru's statement. The allusions to the Akatsuki and questions about his identity were of no surprise, if not a little tedious to hear. Above anything, they had met for the same purpose. The Sanin was getting repetitive, and he also didn't answer the question at all, though the rest of the meeting wouldn't carry any differently as 'Madara' soon learned.

However, he was surprised at how Orochomaru was approaching the issue."...Well, if we're talking about criminality and escaping old age, the last person I would expect to doubt the organization and my claims-" The masked figure never finished the sentence before the snake hastily cut him off. He looked over as the man spoke and realized that the Sannin's yellow eyes were now piercing the darkness with an hungry intensity that only increased as the seconds went by.

"For your other question," the snake man resumed, so absorbed in his plans that he barely noticed his interruption, "You claim to be Madara, which might make me reconsider your offer if I believed it. So far I've seen nothing to change my view," There was a short pause before he continued, "That is, unless you have proof? Any techniques to confirm your identity...?"

The lingering question further reinforced the masked man's eerie notion that Orochimaru might not have come to simply discuss membership into the Akatsuki. As a cold gust of wind broke into the clearing, 'Madara' felt a shiver run down his spine. Yet, it wasn't just the weather that was setting off almost every alarm bell in his head. He looked across the clearing and realized his guest was studying his every movement, as a snake would do to analyze its prey's actions, before pouncing in for the kill. The Sannin expected something from this meeting, and wouldn't likely leave until he got what he wanted.

Well it definitely wasn't joining his group of missing-nins like he hoped. The masked man thought it was perhaps best to back out of the situation right then. He could call off the meeting and run away from the snake man, who was quickly turning business into an interrogation without having said anything that anyone really needed.

However, he had also been stuck at a standstill for ten months with the Akatsuki, which just reminded the masked figure just how desperately he needed the snake. Not only were they incredibly short on people, but unlike the other members, Orochimaru was likely the only guy they could recruit with medical knowledge and a head level enough to carry out missions exactly as to the demands. He was a year behind in his plans, and with the missions gone wrong and failed recruits...if he had to risk revealing a few of his playing cards so soon, well, he was desperate enough to give it a try.

The sky was faintly lit by the morning's presence. The sun hadn't risen, but already a bluish tinge was washing over portions of the starlit blackness above. He flared up the Mangekyou, confident the snake man would see his bloodline under the light, and vortexed closer to Orochimaru's end. However, the snake's grin only grow wider as he made an empty strike into the masked figure's head. "Hmm, pesky mask." Orochimaru said as he retracted his arm from the man's face, and asking almost to test any other abilities kept hidden, "Is that all you have?"

"It's enough, and we're out of time. Give me your answer."

The two were an arm's width apart so Orochimaru lifted his hand for a shake. "Your skills show that you are as good as what you claim to be, though I'm still not convinced," he said, "However, for that demonstration, I'll give your organization a chance. Let's shake our hands to this agreement."

Something was certainly off about Orochimaru's logic and sudden change in perception, and in hindsight, maybe the masked figure should have just listened to his instincts and left. Yet after months of work, running around, and research into Orochimaru's encrypted contact list so to arrange this meeting, he was just so close to changing the Akatsuki and inducing movement into his stagnated plans. He already had Orochimaru's partial consent for cooperation, all he needed now was to play his words right. It would be worth it, the masked figure convinced himself. Thus, he asked the one thing that came to his mind, "Sure, whatever you want. What's hand shaking?"

"Something of a family tradition, we take each others' hands and shake" Orochimaru replied, "It's a formality to commemorate an agreement and show trust. We do trust each other right?"

The meeting had never been arranged on the basis of trust, though done out of blind, desperate need was another matter altogether. The masked figure kept that to himself. Skeptical of Orochimaru's offered handshake but unwilling to reveal his hesitation with the situation delicate as it was, he gave his hand and shook.

The sun loomed behind a set of rocky mountains in the distance, and the risk of being discovered only grew as each speck of light entered into the clearing. However, the masked man was just glad the meeting was coming to an end. Of course, it did go a lot more smoothly than he had predicte- Ouch! He felt a small prick to palm of his right hand. Alarmed, he broke the handshake.

He tensed his body for a possible attack, but the Sannin quickly explained, "Nothing but a small sample of your DNA to confirm your identity. With this our agreement is complete. I'll attend your meetings once I've verified your claims."

Suddenly, the snake sank into the ground and disappeared. For a while, nothing happened as the masked figure tried to process the sudden change in events. The forest was quiet except for the occasional rustling of the leaves. Then, his small chuckle broke through the silence and echoed between the trees.

Oh but that snake was something, the masked figure thought, too bad he didn't really get his genetic stuff. He supposed it was a good thing his right side was composed almost completely out of regenerative material because Orochimaru was going to have a hard and confusing time trying to make heads out of tails from the stolen sample - not that he'd ever find what he wanted. There was Senju DNA for what should undeniably be an Uchiha's blood sample, and he knew even the little amount of his own DNA that could have gotten mixed in would not be sufficient for identity testing. At most his blood sample would confirm his Uchiha lineage due to his clan's special chakra carrying blood cells. This was more evidence for his identity claim, but it was impossible to disprove he was Madara.

The masked man now had a deal he could hold on to. All he needed to do then would be to act smug during the next few meetings to convince Orochimaru he had been outplayed with the sample, or act smug when he materialized inside Orochimaru's lair if the Sanin didn't come to the group meetings. It was a fair deal as far as the masked figure was concerned, and he would use it to convince the other Akatsuki members to back him up if something went wrong.

With that "Madara" slipped into the forest as he headed to his hide out, with the prospect of a job well done still lingering in the back of his mind. He was finally getting somewhere with his plans and it seemed that little could go wrong from here.

However, the masked figure's assumption was actually somewhat inaccurate, and as he would later discover, he should have simply bolted when his instincts told him to run as fast as his two legs could have carried him.

Somewhere in another world, a person who had spent an entire childhood reading manga books soon found himself reincarnated, though he did not know it, into Orochimaru's and the presumed 'Madara"s world. When he realized he was stuck within the gestational, or the developing period as a baby, all he could do was wait impatiently until he could enter into the world again. And waited he did, and wait and wait, and... was that clinking he just heard?

AN: Story where orochimaru tries to clone Madara after his defection from the village


	3. Chapter 3

..."nd we're all disappointed, and you should be disappointed too. You were destined for greatness, now what happened to that? You know at this age, all the other little Uchiha's had already gotten their Sharingans..."

He's lying, but I would know. I'm eight, lots of Uchihas haven't awakened their bloodlines then. Haha, definitely not that kid with goggles. What's his name? Uh...I don't remember...you know what, nah, he's not that important.

"You will fall behind, and what's going to happen to your future-"

"Well to be fair as a clone I wouldn't have a future. So your argument's invalid...but hey you're starting to sound like my mother if I had one... maybe I've started to grow on you eh?"

"No. We are just concerned."

"...R-Really Kabuto?"

"Not that way. Focus on your training. You know we spent a great amount of resources to produce you, so we would like to see some productive results rather than have that money go to waste."

Hell, least he loves money like his own child.

" Can't say it's really my fault though. You forgot to take me out of the gestational chamber on time. Two years of development lost, your own mistake. What's that about saving money heh?"

"You still bitter about that? Well actually...back to the point. How could you, the replica of the great Uchiha Madara be so incompetent? You have so much potential, all you need to do is motivate yourself and you will achieve great things. Can't you focus just a little more Nidara?"

Oh fine then, do you want me to add an emotional speech about my hopes and dreams before I go super ninja, or just get straight to the power up. Oh one sec...I'm a stock character.

" You want me to add an emot-"

" Kabuto's right. We're waiting on a lot of results here. But... I could tell you about all the other incompetent little clones my snakes have eaten if you need motivation."

"..."

After an exhaustive day of training, Nidara finally found his way to his room, and plopped onto his cot. He quickly fell asleep and dreamt of a nicer life.

July 8th, 2014:

He was lying on his stomach, flat across the pavement with his two hands covering his neck.

"What are you doing, hiding from a bear? Dude, don't just lie there! We have to get out of here before he comes!"

"B-but- what if I get hit by a bullet after I get up-"

"Are you hearing yourself?! He'll be shooting us at point blank when he's done chasing us. Lying on the ground won't help you at all!"

"B-but I-I can't..."

 _Clack. Clack._

"Oh shi-"

First birthday:

"Maa, Dada, Aunty, let Jack get the pwesent first. He's smawer."

" Oh they're so cute. Which one's Jesse again? And he's the older one? Oh and so that one is Jack. They look so alike!"

His aunt turned around to fetch Jack's present. She placed it instead in front of Nidar- Jesse.

That wasn't right...

"No! Browa need go first!"

"Oh so sorry! Here you go Jack! You're actually the right twin for this box!"

Fifth birthday:

Jesse gave his lunch money to Jack today. His younger twin had forgot his own. Now Jesse was a bit hungry, but they would soon be home anyway so it wouldn't matter. He'll just gorge when they get home. Anything for his little brother.

There was a small cake that night and he made sure he and Jack got the nicest looking pieces.

Twelfth birthday:

Yeah he knew they weren't anywhere near as rich as the other kids, but that was no reason to pick on him and Jack. Now that he was older, he began to notice little things more. About how the teachers often sided more with the kids who wore nicer clothing, and had nicer stuff to use. The other students could bring them down by words, but the adults wouldn't really step in unless something serious was about to happen. Maybe that was fair if that was how the world works, but he'd do his best to protect his brother and do something for himself to change it.

That night he made a wish on the candle. A promise to himself really. He would make a better life for himself somehow. Yeah, he was going to live a good life one day, the happiest life, and his brother too.

He looked over to Jack. Their eyes met and they realized both had wished for the same thing. They laughed.

Thirteenth birthday:

He made sure Jack got a nicer looking piece. Then he ate the cake, hugged, said thanks and a happy birthday to his family and brother. He went back to his room to study.

Fifteenth birthday:

At school, he was making friends with the smarter kids. Him and Jack stayed close, but Jack had found his niche in sports instead.

He just needed to finish his assignment. If he could keep up his grades, he could get into a good University and make a better life for himself.

"I'll be down in a few seconds." Then it soon was midnight, and he remembered. He went to the living room and saw a nice looking piece of the cake on the table. The candle had died a long time ago.

Seventeenth birthday:

" What do you mean you met someone through your teammates?!"

" Nothing. It's just good money. Easy money. I'm not like you. I can't be the best at what I do in sports. I've tried and tried. It's a dead end. I'm average at best, it's competitive and I know I'm not good enough to reach the opportunities out there. I'll be too limited by staying in sports."

" Then at least stay in school! Get your studies up if you can't do sports, I'll help you! If I'm good at studies then you can too! We share the same DNA, we have to share the same smarts!"

" It's too late for me. Have you seen my grades? I failed math! And what help? You never have time for family these days!"

Twenty-third birthday:

He got a good job designing power grids. It's stable and pays decently. In a way he's helping the community through his work. He wondered if there was anything he could have done to help his brother though.

They haven't talked ever since...a long time then.

Two years later:

This was bad. How did he end up here? First he got a call from his brother saying he was in deep. Then went to see his brother. Then people with pocket knives came to his brother's apartment complex, and him and his brother ran out...then his brother knocked out a few people who were chasing them on the way. And now there's just this guy left. He looks tougher, but maybe that's more so because of what he's carrying.

"Hey, hey we can talk through this alright? Just put the gun down, let's stay calm, okay?"

"Well your look-a-like there still owes me money. He took two kilograms of my stock! Whose gonna pay for that? You finally gonna pay Jack?"

"Ain't got the money, no way. Too bad bro."

"Yeah I figured! You can pay with your life then!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy there! If you want to kill someone, then you can't just...no I mean you shouldn't kill someone here. Right? We can get the money somehow, right Jack? If you kill him, you won't get the money, right? Right?"

"See I've been waiting on this guy for four months to pay. You don't wait on lazy people like him, and you don't mess around with people like me!"

"Hey, hey, don't point the gun at Jack like that! How about we make a deal or something? Anything?"

"I don't do deals."

"No but you're a dealer— alright bro. Just keep your thumb where it is. Don't move that safety. Whoa, don't shoot! Stop!"

"I'm taking your life toda-"

"No, no I got money! Don't worry about Jack, just put the gun down!"

"Look, you ain't got that much kid. Not enough to cover his Jack of an a**"

"No!... But I am an engineer!"

"...An... engineer huh? Okay. Alright then."

"..." "Well go on"

"How much do I owe you?" " Ten grand."

" Can I get a cash discount?" "No"

" Payment plan?" "You kidding me?! I've waited long enough for _him_ already!"

" Whoa! Alright, alright. I understand. Okay."

"Your life for his then. Better make it worth it! Two weeks, got it?"

Two years later,

July 8th, 2016 :

It was the anniversary of the day he saved Jack. They decided to commemorate the occasion by going to a restaurant. They ordered cake for desert. It was delicious. He hadn't seen his brother look so happy in years.

The dealer from the past came up in conversation a few times. He was caught and sentenced to 10 years after Jesse reported him to the police station. That day, he had to walk to the station as there wasn't phone reception in the area, and Jack's phone line had been cut mysteriously. There was also a strange person lurking near the complex, always watching. He looked a lot like the dealer's watchman, which made sense. But was that a gun he just saw?

But in all honesty, it wasn't that hard to get out of the apartment. Swap clothes, then have Jack pretend to be Jesse when he went out for a smoke. They looked identical anyway. For Jesse, all he needed were a long coat, some sunglasses and a nice, clean, and bald haircut before going to the police station. The watchman didn't suspect a thing. It was so easy.

Well, the trial wasn't easy. Jack had to stay in jail again, but after that near death event, he began to change for the better. Now he was studying to become an apprentice and life was starting to look good.

It was dark outside when they headed out of the restaurant. Half-way home, Jesse saw a red dot run across the wall of the store beside him. Who plays with lasers at this time of the night? He looked around, but didn't see anyone. Jack seemed on edge though. Did they go the wrong way or something? Then Jack said something weird.

"Remember when I went to the police station and reported the dealer? No, you didn't do anything at all."

And that was all he remembered before the world ended.


	4. Chapter 4

When he wasn't training, he would explore every corner as much as possible before someone caught him. One day, he may need that information to get out.

Then Nidara remembered his brother. As twins, they held a special connection, and he used to almost be able to tell when his brother was nearby. Sometimes, he would get an odd feeling while walking around, yet it was hard to explain. It felt like his brother was with him, but still dead somehow. Maybe it had to do with being twins, that maybe his brother was still living on through him, as people say about the departed. It somehow made sense as he still missed the kid. He couldn't hold things against Jack forever, they were brothers after all. If alive, he still hoped Jack was doing okay.

Yet today was experiment day. Apparently Orochimaru had wanted to recreate his Mokuton experiments with the Uchiha clone. Nidara wondered why though. From what he remembered, it was a dangerous experiment, one that few survived. He knew he was the only clone the Sanin had, so why waste the one vessel on something that could likely kill it?

Well, the reports did show he was making little progress. He hadn't awakened his bloodline despite all training attempts, which actually left him almost immune to fear... That didn't help awaken the Sharingan either. He wasn't a prodigy, actually he was incredibly average. Plus, he's been losing focus and missing targets in kunai throwing practice recently. Well, that was more due to the weird feeling he was getting these days, but he wasn't making himself look very useful. So... yeah, realistically he wasn't a very suitable vessel, and those were likely the reasons behind this experiment. Nothing to lose from losing a clone you can't use right?

However, if the experiment worked, maybe he would become strong enough to get out of the lair. He held onto that hope.

He was given the day off training. But the weird feeling only grew, and something didn't feel right. Maybe it was because he was nervous. Yeah, that's it. He walked around for disrtction. Now that he was closer than ever to potentially dying, he didn't feel so confident in himself. He also started to notice the smaller details in his state, funny how that works when one starts to focus more on the little time left. There were a lot of wires hanging from the ceiling, crisscrossing each other, disappearing behind walls. Wires running down the corners, wires to switches, to lights. He focused on the wires that were providing the electricity to the lights dangling from the ceiling. There were so many. He wondered ... If it means he could escape, then give it a try. He was scared enough of the experiment anyway. He followed the wires both ways, and finally found a control room that was unlocked. He flicked some switches, got out of the control room and waited, but nothing happened.

But suddenly the weird feeling came back, even stronger this time. He followed it around the lair, going where he felt was right. He had stopped in the middle of nowhere in a long hallway. A desperate urge to push against the wall...why? He just wanted to do it really bad. No one was looking. Look at the wall...hey a tile out of place... he could push it, he wanted to, just do it...

And then he heard steps running in the hallway. It was Kabuto. He was late for the experiment. He backed away from the wall, disappointed and he didn't know why.

The experiment hurt a lot. After the first hour, a fever developed, then his insides were burning, and soon he was swelling all over. He was dying again, and before he knew it he lost consciousness.

Jean was getting dizzy again. He might need to get someone else to drive him home using his hovercar. He steadied himself and found a manga called Naruto in the retro section of the bookstore. He thought it looked familiar, but wasn't sure why. He flipped through the pages, and found a chapter about a clone. A clone of Madara who was also a dealer of ...stuff.

Flashes of memory came back, and he remembered the world he had left behind. There wasn't a clone in the story from his first life, so why was there one now? Did he survive? But he's here in this world. Then he remembered the switches and the odd feeling.

He became dizzy again, and fainted. Dreams came and went but each time, he was having a fever in that world. However, that familiar world seemed much clearer than ever through his eyes this time, with wispy electric blue threads lacing through the objects and walls around him. Yet the heat was close to unbearable and before long he fainted from the fever.

He woke up again in a hospital. A very high tech hospital with hovercars driving again in the streets outside his room's window.

His brother was still out there somewhere. He realized he also didn't have much time left here.


End file.
